Welcome to our weekly programme "Path Towards Enlightenment" in which we present you a fluent and easy-to-understand explanation of the ayahs of the holy Qur’an.

We start from where we left you last Friday and here is ayah 26 of Surah Sajdah:

أَوَلَمْ يَهْدِ لَهُمْ كَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِن قَبْلِهِم مِّنَ الْقُرُونِ يَمْشُونَ فِي مَسَاكِنِهِمْ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ ۖ أَفَلَا يَسْمَعُونَ

“Does it not dawn upon them how many generations We have destroyed before them; amid [the ruins of] whose dwellings they walk? There are indeed signs in that. Will they not then listen?”

Last Friday we refereed to the divine promise of punishment for the oppressors as consequences of the sufferings endured by the oppressed. The ayah which we now recited refers to the fate of the unrepentant sinners. It is a warning to the pagan Arabs of Mecca to take heed from the terrible fate that befell the sinful nations of the past, such as the lands of Aad and Thamoud and the thoroughly destroyed cites of Sodom and Gomorra that were all located on the caravan routes linking Arabia with Syria. These lands were once the central place of owerful nations which despite the repeated warnings of the Prophets sent to them for guidance, refuse to change their manner and, finally after being given long respite were annihilated by divine punishment. Whenever they pass across these lands they hear the shout of the gravels of that desert and the sounds of their ruined castles which have hundred tongues and reflect the result of infidelity, but they react as if they have entirely lost their hearing ears.

From this ayah we learn that:

1. The ruins of former civilizations should be considered a warning to the coming generations, instead of being viewed merely as places of historical, architectural, cultural and touristic interests. 
2. The past is a direction for the future, and should serve as a lesson.
3. If there are ears to listen, the silent and deserted ruins carry a message for us.
4. Protection of ancient monuments is necessary in order to serve as a lesson.

Now we listen to and read ayah 27 of Surah Sajdah:

أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّا نَسُوقُ الْمَاءَ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ الْجُرُزِ فَنُخْرِجُ بِهِ زَرْعًا تَأْكُلُ مِنْهُ أَنْعَامُهُمْ وَأَنفُسُهُمْ ۖ أَفَلَا يُبْصِرُونَ

“Do they not see that We carry water to the parched earth and with it We bring forth crops of which they eat, themselves and their cattle? Will they not then see?”

In continuation of its address to the sinners, this ayah refers to bounties of God in the world of nature for all creatures. This is the unique training method of the Holy Qur’an for guiding mankind by referring to some of the natural transformations. For instance, the movement of the clouds which have moist, and the rainfall in the zones far from the sea, is not casual, but it is done by the Wise will of Allah. This ayah points to one of the most important bounties of Allah which is the cause of cultivation of all lands and the means of the life of all living creatures, in order to make clear that in the same manner that Allah, the Almighty, is able to destroy the habitable lands of the transgressors, He can flourish the ruin and dead lands, too, and bestow all kinds of merits on His servants. Yes, these very pieces of cloud that are in the sky are some large seas of sweet water which, by Allah’s command and by the help of winds, are sent toward the dry lands. Indeed, if rain did not fall a great deal of lands would not receive a drop of water, even if supposing there were some rivers full of water they might not flow over them. But now we see that by this grace of Allah there have grown some forests, plenty of trees and many plants on a lot of high mountains, in impracticable slopes and high hills. This wonderful power of natural irrigation is found only in the nature of rain, and nothing else can afford it. The word ‘cattle’ is mentioned in this ayah before ‘men’ and it may be for the sake that the cattle feed entirely from plants while men feed on both plants and the meat of cattle. Or for the sake that as soon as plants grow they are fit for the use of cattle, while the use of plants for men often postpones to later times when the plants deliver their seed and fruit to them to consume.

From this ayah we learn that:

1. Among the best means of proper cognizance of God is contemplation on the world of nature and its blessings.
2. It is the will of God that makes the clouds, which have gathered moisture from the seas, to float far away towards deserts, to pour down rain.
3. The rainfall and growth of plants are among the divine signs and we should not simply pass aside.

Now we listen to and read ayahs 28, 29 and 30 of Surah Sajdah:

وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَىٰ هَـٰذَا الْفَتْحُ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ

قُلْ يَوْمَ الْفَتْحِ لَا يَنفَعُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِيمَانُهُمْ وَلَا هُمْ يُنظَرُونَ

فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ وَانتَظِرْ إِنَّهُم مُّنتَظِرُونَ

“And they say, ‘When will this judgement be, should you be truthful?”

“Say, ‘On the day of judgement their [newly found] faith shall not avail the faithless, nor will they be granted any respite.”

“So turn away from them, and wait. They too are waiting.”

These ayahs which are the last ones of Surah Sajdah, refer to the fact that the pagan Arabs used to hear the tidings and promises of God Almighty from the mouth of Prophet Mohammad (blessing of God upon him and his progeny). But instead of believing in the divine promise of reward for the righteous and retribution for the sinners, they used to ridicule the Prophet, saying: When will this promise materialize? When are we going to be punished?  

In response God says, the Day of Judgment will come but do not think that on that day your newly found faith on seeing the undeniable facts, will be accepted or you will be given a respite. On that day there will be no chance for return to the world

The final ayah orders to keep away from such people who understand the truth but they plan to mock it and tell them to wait so that God will judge between you and us.

From these ayahs we learn that:

1. Sometimes a question is asked not for understanding the truth but for ridiculing.
2. Faith has no value when human will is taken away.
3. When argument and reasoning does not work, one should keep away from deviants.

AS/ME/SS